A large proportion of healthy African Americans have been observed to have a white blood cell count (WBC) that is persistently lower than the normal range defined for individuals of European ancestry [1]â[5].
Energy is only released when chemical bonds are formed. In general, a chemical reaction involves two steps: 1) the original chemical bonds between the atoms are broken, and 2) new bonds are formed. These two steps are sometimes lumped into one event for simplicity, but they are really two separate events.
A peptide bond can be broken by hydrolysis (the adding of water). In the presence of water they will break down and release 8â16 kilojoule / mol (2â4 kcal / mol) of free energy. This process is extremely slow. In living organisms, the process is catalyzed by enzymes.